[HousK  OF  Representatives.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Jan.  18,  1864 —Read  first 
and  second  times  and  ordered  to  be  printed,  and  placed  on  the  calen- 
der. 

[By  Mr.  Pkestov,  from  Committee  on  Qaartermat^tev  Department.] 


To  be  entitled  an  Act  extending  the  privileg*'  of  purchasing  clothing 
at  Government  cost,  to  all  persona  in  iti^  employment,  who  have 
been  discharged  for  the  array  on  account  of  wounds  received  ot 
disease  contracted  whilst  in  the  servico. 

1  Section    1.    The  Congrcs.'^  of  the  Confederate  Stat is  of  America  de 

2  C7iact,  That  the  privilege  of  purchasing  clothing  at  Government 

3  cost,  extended  to  soldiers  and  those  actually    in  the  service  fbr 

4  local  defence,  by  existing  laws  or  usage,  be  and  the  same  is  here- 

5  by  extended  to  the  employees  of  the   Government  in   any  of  its 

6  departments,  who  have  been  discharged  from  the  army  on  account 

7  of  wounds  received  or  disease  contracted  whilst  in  the  servicCj 

8  which  disables  them  from  performing  military  duty   in  the  field. 


RuKfcAU  OF  Subsistence,      ) 
Ric/wwnd,  Dec.  21,   1863.  J 

^o  the  Hon.  James  A.  Seddon, 

Secretary  of  War  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  : 

JSiK  :  Whereas  the  privilege  of  purchasing  clothing,  at  cost  of  the 
Government,  is  extended  to  one  class  of  Government  employees,  upon 
•the  sole  ground  of  their  enrolment  into  military   companies  for  the 
3ocal  defence  of  the  city  of  Richmond;  and,  whereas,  another  class. 
m  consequence  of  wounds  received  in  defence  of  the  country,  dis- 
abling them  from  the  general  performance  of  such  duties  as  such  ea- 
rolment  v/ould  involve,  are  thereby  deprived  of  said  privelege;  there- 
fore. >Ye,  the  undersigned  disabled  and  discharged  soldiers,  clerks  in 
ihe  Commissary    Bureau   at  Richmond,  Va  ,  beg  leave  to  represent, 
ibat  our  non-enrolment  in  any  of  said  military  companies  is  attributa- 
We  rather  to  our  misfortunate  than  fault;  that  our  present  disabil- 
ity, considered  vvith  its  cause,  should  be  as  great  a  guaranty  of  devo- 
tion to  the  courtry  as  enrolment   of  our  names  on   any   muster  list 
wouldjmply  ;  that,- between  our  necessities  and  the  means  of  supplying 
them,  and  those  of  employees,  enrolled  in  said  companies,  there  is  no 
shadow  of  difference;  that,  in  the  amount  of  duty,  until  the  city  shall 
1)6  actually  threatened,  our  cases  are  parrallel,  the  temporary  military 
duties  of  OL^r  class,  being  always  rendered  in  the  time  of  release  from 
such  civil  duties  as  are,  in  the  meantime,  performed  by  the  other,  and 
sn  case  of  actual  danger,  none  can  tell  whose  services  might  prove  the 
most  efftctive,  the   tried  cripple's   in    a  permanent,  or  the   untried 
athlete's  in  a  moveable  po<jition  ;  and.  further,  that  our  allowance  of 
pay  is  insufficient  to  the  feeding  and  clothing  of  us  at  present  market 
prices  ;  wherefore  we  would  respectfully  petition  that  the  privilege 
above  named  be  extended  to  us  and  others  like  situated  in  the  Govern- 
ment employ   in  the  city  of  Richmond,  to   whiih   end  we  subscribe 
ourselves 

Yonr  humble  petitioners, 

.rOIIN  H.  BREWER, 

K D W A  R I)  LI VI NGSTON , 

I'lIIL.  K.  RIELY, 

.r.  J.  CRUSMaN, 

(;.   P.  CH.\NDLER. 


ram 


